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they are in oil and vinegar.... not alot of vinegar. i wish i could figure out how to eat them with pasta but not being a cook.... i am just not sure what to put in with them to make it taste good. just the chokes by themselves with pasta is not good enough.

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Was just checking around for some pasta salads...hesitating to ask Chef Lisa Shock outright for one of hers...never have found a pasta salad that I liked...and found this one which features both pasta and artichoke hearts from Miz Ducky

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This is hardly haute cuisine (more like a Campbell's soup casserole) but there's a recipe in the Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook for Pasta with Marinated Artichoke Hearts that I adapt from time to time. It's handy when I'm asked to make dinner in an unfamiliar kitchen because it's easy to grab all the ingredients in any supermarket.

Not sure how it would work with a BIG jar of artichokes because you start by draining the liquid into a skillet and then gently saute a pile of thinly sliced onions in the drained-off marinade, which provides most of the seasoning. I believe the recipe adds a bit of extra olive oil and butter; sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I usually add some sliced mushrooms, something green (like zucchini or asparagus), some red bell pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Meanwhile, cut up the artichokes and add them to the pan when the veggies are about cooked. Once all that's warmed through, remove the pan from the heat and stir in some sour cream and your cooked, drained pasta. Sprinkle with a bit of parmesan.

Sometimes I add shrimp or scallops. Or bacon. I suspect leftover chicken would work, too.

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My thoughts are that pasta salad should be at least 50% salad ingredients. I like to have hearty amounts of sliced carrot (ok, I use a Japanese flower cutter to make flower shaped slices), celery, raw zucchini, red bell pepper, slivers of red onion, a few beans (garbanzo or cannelloni), and maybe cucumber. Then, I add preserved ingredients like olives and marinated artichokes and the vinaigrette. And, I serve it on a bed of greens with tomatoes and other, more delicate veggies and raw basil. (and assorted things from my garden) So, it can count as a meal.

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Pasta ala Costco - Take a couple of big spoons full of stuff out of the huge jars of artichoke hearts, olives, sun dried tomatoes, marinated roasted peppers, bean salad, whatever in the fridge and toss them with pasta and lots of freshly grated Parmesan. Maybe add some cured meat of your choice.

Aka "Disappearing Pasta" - I put antipasti on my pasta and it vanished.

It's almost never bad to feed someone.

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I use them in a jazzed-up version of The Frugal Gourmet's spinach artichoke casserole: A layer of the artichoke hearts, a layer of thawed frozen spinach, squeezed as dry as possible, a layer of cooked ground sausage (my addition to placate hubby), and a layer of cream cheese/garlic & herb boursin, all topped with grated Parm. This is comfort food around here. It substitutes for green bean casserole on holidays.

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I like to remove the choke and then stuff it with a mixture of parmesan, ricotta, mozzarella, and whatever herbs and spices, a la Vefa's Kitchen. Then bake it at 350F until, well, it's ready. It's good stuff (pun intended, sadly).

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I get requests for this dip all the time. It's kind of '50s housewife-y, but it's really great at parties. I even got a request for it for a friend's wedding and had to figure out how to make two hotel pans' worth!

It's just cream cheese, mayo and Asiago cheese in a 2:1:1 ratio, chopped green onions, and drained and chopped chokes. I usually add a few grates of nutmeg and either cayenne or white pepper for just a bit of heat. Mix these together, and then bake til bubbly; add a bit of grated Asiago on top and pop under the broiler til it's just brown. I serve it with veggies (especially cauliflower!!) and some jalapeno cheddar beer bread toasts (another crowd pleaser).

When I'm not party hopping ( ) I really like marinated artichokes in grilled sandwiches, especially jazzing up boring lunch meats like turkey. And they're good with hard cheeses like Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano. I always add them to pasta puttanesca, too. If all else fails, and you run out of ideas, you can just send them to me!